IBYSRHML | Chapter 12

#.12

I didn’t know if I had experienced a carriage accident in the original story.

The contents of the novel had entered my mind, but since I hadn’t seen or experienced it myself, it all felt very distant.

Besides, in the original, I was merely a supporting character.

But one thing is certain.

If the carriage accident, which wasn’t supposed to happen, occurred, it means my knowledge of the original story caused a butterfly effect.

‘Getting trampled by a horse must hurt a lot.’

Terrified, I squeezed my eyes shut.

Clatter, clatter. The sound of horses’ hooves striking the road grew closer.

Big sister, goodbye. Second unnie and youngest unnie, goodbye too. I love you all so much.

At that moment, something warm and firm enveloped me, lifting me up.

Then, I spun around uncontrollably before coming to a sudden stop.

‘W-What is this?’

Instead of pain, there was warmth and firmness.

Curious about what was happening, I cautiously opened my eyes and saw Leopold, holding me tightly, lying on the ground.

It seemed that when I froze in terror and couldn’t move, he had rushed to embrace me and rolled across the ground to avoid the carriage.

The firmness I felt was Leopold’s muscular body.

The carriage passed the spot where I had been standing and stopped far away.

“Liliana!”

“Leopold!”

My sisters and Marius, pale as ghosts, ran toward us.

I stared at Leopold, who lay unmoving.

As he held me tightly, I could clearly see every little detail of his face, even the fine hairs.

“M-Mister?”

I could feel his heartbeat against my cheek, so why wouldn’t he open his eyes? Was it my fault?

Overcome by fear and worry, my heart sank. My eldest sister forced me up and checked my condition.

“Are you okay? Does your head hurt? Anywhere else?”

While my eldest and second unnie meticulously examined my arms, legs, and head, Marius shook Leopold.

“Hey, hey! Leopold!”

Marius raised his voice, looking alarmed, which made my heart shrink even more.

I couldn’t take my eyes off Leopold, who lay there as if he were asleep.

“M-Mister Leo… Mister Leo!”

Calling out to Leopold in panic, Marius, unable to bear it anymore, slapped his cheeks sharply.

“Leopold, wake up!”

The sound was loud and crisp, as if he wasn’t holding back his strength.

Leopold’s cheeks turned increasingly red.

I was worried that Marius’s slaps might bring him back to consciousness only for him to faint again.

But suddenly, Leopold took a sharp breath and opened his eyes wide.
The first thing he did was search for me with his gaze and ask:

“Liliana, are you all right?”

He was truly a warm-hearted person.

Even though something terrible could have happened to him because of me, his first concern was my well-being.

Meeting his green eyes, which carefully examined me, I felt the fear that had gripped my chest dissolve.

My nose tingled, and tears burst out uncontrollably.

“Waaaaaah! Huuuuuh! Aaaaah!”

I had thought both Leopold and I might have been doomed because of me.

The fear I felt in that fleeting moment was so overwhelming it defied comprehension.

“L-Liliana?”

“Huuuuh! I’m sorry, Mister Leo! Huuuuh!”

I clung to Leopold’s neck, sobbing my heart out.

He looked at my sisters in confusion, trying to gauge their reactions.

Even as tears turned to snot dripping down my face, I couldn’t stop crying.

When my sisters attempted to pry me off him, it was Leopold who stopped them.

“It’s all right. It’s all right.”

He patted my back, his touch clumsy yet as warm as his body.

Hearing his reassurance, my sobbing grew louder.

I felt even guiltier because he had been so kind instead of angry, even though he could have been seriously injured because of me.

Leopold held and comforted me until the carriage owner ran over to check on us.

After that, I was handed over to my eldest sister, who gave me a thorough scolding.

Liliana was so exhausted from the shock that they had to forgo watching the circus and return home.

It was Marius who carried the limp and tear-stricken Liliana on his back all the way home.

Following Alice’s guidance, Marius brought the sleeping Liliana to her room and gently laid her on the bed.

Looking at the peacefully sleeping child, he felt a strange sensation and lightly tapped her nose.

“She must be tired from crying so much. She seemed really scared today. Take good care of her.”

After covering Liliana with a blanket, Marius left the room with Alice. Click. The door closed, and only then did he notice Alice’s pale face.

The incident of Liliana almost being hit by the carriage had clearly shaken not only Alice but also Regina.

Although Liliana was their younger sister, the large age gap made her feel more like a daughter they had raised together.

Since childhood, Liliana had been frail, requiring all their love and care. If it hadn’t been for Leopold, they might have lost her forever today.

“Alice, you should rest well today too. You don’t look so good.”

Alice couldn’t even respond with the customary “I’m fine.”

On the contrary, as soon as they returned home, the tension released, causing her chest to tighten, and she had to take deep breaths repeatedly.

Just the thought of Liliana almost getting hurt in the accident was overwhelming, but the mere possibility of losing her helplessly to illness…

“Let’s do it.”

“…What? Do what?”

“A political marriage. Let’s do it.”

In truth, Alice preferred friends or younger siblings over romantic relationships.

She had never imagined herself getting married.

Her ambitions were focused on being recognized for her skills through work and becoming the best in her field, rather than on getting married and raising children.

Considering her meticulously built career and future plans, she believed her path would be nothing but smooth if she stayed the course.

But this was about Liliana. Her younger sister, who was more like a daughter.

Even though Alice had never given birth, she believed her experience with Liliana was akin to raising a child, as she loved her youngest sister deeply.

She loved her so much that just looking at her made her eyes well up with emotion, and Alice knew she couldn’t bear to lose her, no matter the reason.

She would do whatever it took to prevent her youngest sister from dying due to an illness.

“Let’s start by drafting a contract, outlining exactly how much and how far you’re willing to help.”

Alice’s eyes, filled with resolve, were calm and serious.

Marius looked at her and thought she resembled a warrior ready to leap into battle at any moment.

Overwhelmed by her intense presence, he unconsciously smiled and replied.

“I promise. Nothing bad will happen to Liliana.”

While Alice and Marius were discussing their political marriage, Regina sat in the living room with Leopold on the sofa.

Leopold had scratches on his hand and small wounds on his face from rolling on the road while holding Liliana to avoid the carriage.

Regina brought out the first-aid kit and began treating his injuries.

“Could the brief loss of consciousness earlier have been due to a concussion? Are you sure you don’t need to see a doctor?”

“In truth, I didn’t lose consciousness… I was only pretending, as a small joke to Liliana. I thought she’d find it amusing if I startled her… I had no idea she’d be so frightened. It was my mistake. I apologize.”

“No, not at all. We’re so grateful you saved our youngest.”

Leopold sat stiffly, both in posture and speech, as if he had turned to stone.

It wasn’t surprising, considering Regina was holding his injured hand, gently applying ointment.

Her slender fingers brushing against him sent tingles through his skin, as if static electricity was coursing through him.

Her curly golden locks swayed tantalizingly close to his face, and he could clearly see each of her long eyelashes.

As he secretly admired her pursed lips, focused on applying the ointment, he felt as if his breath had been taken away.

Leopold, in his twenty-five years of life, had never been this tense.

His heart pounded so wildly he feared Regina might hear it.

“Leopold, thank you so much again, just like at the playground last time.”

“N-No, not at all. I only did what was necessary. You don’t need to thank me further.”

“But you could have been hurt. If Liliana had been injured, I would have…”

Regina’s shoulders trembled.

Liliana wasn’t only precious to Alice.
Regina, and even Emilia, who wasn’t present, shared the same sentiment.

If anything had happened to Liliana today, Regina would have cursed herself forever.

She would have blamed herself for not holding her younger sister’s hand tightly enough to prevent this disaster.

“That’s why I’d like to invite you over sometime. Could you spare a moment before you return to the Empire?”

“…There’s no need to invite me.”

“Oh…”

Leopold was neither sly like Marius nor smooth like François.

He was a reserved and rigid man.

He often chose silence over openly expressing himself or speaking candidly.

But now, he couldn’t remain silent.

Even if he couldn’t express himself eloquently like other men, he had to say something directly.

“Just… Please go on a date with me.”

Regina’s eyes widened, her lips parting slightly in surprise.

Leopold feared she might think of him as a petty man using her sister’s rescue as an excuse for a date.

He was more nervous now than during his first expedition.

Facing five barbarians alone, he’d been confident of his survival, but now, his mind was blank, and he felt suffocated.

“That’s not gratitude; it’s what I’ve been hoping for…”

The fear that had consumed Leopold vanished in an instant with Regina’s reply.

She had accepted his request for a date.